Sunday morning saw the end of my two-day workshop, Weekend with Words, at JustBooks Aundh. With Word Search, Word-Building and Word Train, we came to the end of a fun workshop! At the British Library, we had a day based on Roald Dahl! Today, we have: Storytelling Workshop Time: 11 am to noon Age-group: 5-8 […]
Charlotte’s Web
No other title do they know, The refrain is scarcely new – Tho the chances are their knowledge Came from a book review; They ask me if I’ve read it – I humbly whisper “No” (Thank God, again I’ve said it!) They clap their hands and glow. – From Louis L’Amour’s “I Haven’t Read Gone […]
Day One: Read Something New!
Spending a Sunday afternoon with enthusiastic children at the British Library is such a joy! The idea of this workshop was to get over Geronimo Stilton and Wimpy Kid, and begin to read something new. I know too many children who finish their Geronimo Stiltons and then say they have nothing more to read. With […]
Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission
If you watched and loved Captain Planet as a child, I know you will feel as warmly about Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission as I did. When I watched the heroism and drama of Captain Planet, I loved the idea of people getting together to save the world. This book feels something like that. The downside of the book […]
Esty’s Gold
I never stay up reading. I love books and I enjoy reading, but staying up beyond my bed-time? No, that’s not me. I remember when I was reading the fifth Harry Potter, I had one chapter left to finish and I went to sleep, to the horror of some of my friends. Maybe that was […]
Tilly’s Moonlight Fox
When I started reading Tilly’s Moonlight Fox, I did not quite like it. Both the story and the writing style seemed outdated. The kind of finish that so many new books have was not there. But the book grew on me. It’s the kind of book that you should read when you are eight or […]
The Lost Island of Tamarind
The first word that comes to mind while reading The Lost Island of Tamarind is ‘vivid’. I don’t usually like descriptive stories. I feel, “Sure, things around look like that; the weather is like that; the people look like that. Get on with the story!” The Lost Island of Tamarind was not one of those. It was […]
Read Something New!
Back to British Library with my next reading workshop! Dates: 17th August, 24th August, 7th September and 14th September Time: 3 pm – 5 pm Age-group: 9-12 Registration fee: Rs. 1,200 for members; Rs. 2,200 for non-members (You get a complimentary Gold 6-month membership free when you register) See you there!
Small Change for Stuart
When crossword puzzles, triplets and magic come together, the combination is a delightful mixture of commonsense, logic and madness. Small Change for Stuart is about a very short boy with slightly crazy parents. The parents do not realise that their short son is going to be traumatised through life because his first initial and surname […]
The Famous Adventures of Jack
When a little girl called Jill is told that she has to meet Jack, she begins a wonderful journey of stories with Mother Greenwood and a few Jacks here and there. The Famous Adventures of Jack by Berlie Doherty is a collection of new tales that have the same charm, predictability and comfort of well-loved […]
The Feeling After Reading a Good Book
I sit on the sofa looking at the wall in front of me. Hundreds of images cover the wall. A young brown girl. The book does not say anywhere that she is brown. In fact, she is English. But her great-great-aunt – or was it another relation? – used to wash the socks of tramps. […]
The Story of Cirrus Flux
“Where are you, Varsha?” “I’m not here!” I call back. “It looks like you are.” “No, I’m inside here.” (pointing to my book) That’s the way it was with The Story of Cirrus Flux. I enjoyed the ride through 18th century England, with Matthew Skelton’s small liberties with historical facts. I wondered again at how […]
The Midnight Fox
It is not that I have not been reading. As a matter of fact, I have been reading quite a bit. I read A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master and enjoyed it. I read three of Dick King-Smith’s Sophie books. But nothing prompted me to write until this one – The Midnight Fox by Betsy […]
To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus, Atticus … How I love you! Who says that you are not a good parent? To Kill a Mockingbird is moving, painful and joyful. It fills my heart with the goodness and stupidity of humanity. When I read a story like To Kill a Mockingbird, I feel the power of literature. Literature can echo in your […]
The Macmillan Book Review Contest on Rivokids
Why are there no reviews of Indian books for the Macmillan Book Review Contest yet? This is true for all the age-groups! Do invite children in the age-group 10-15 to review The Story-Catcher; the carrot dangling at the end of the stick is a Macmillan book hamper! Last date for entries is the 30th of […]
Olivia’s First Term
When I picked up Olivia’s First Term, I was more than a little sceptical. The book was light purple, with splashes of silver on it. It did not promise to be the kind of book I would like. I don’t like books that run on crushes and fantasies and lipstick and shoes and make-up. And lavender, purple and […]
Day Five: Reading Workshop at JustBooks
Another workshop came to an end yesterday. Lots of parents came in and asked me when I would do something like this again. Soon, I hope, soon. For now, I am filled with gladness. Comics, stories, poems, myths … A reading workshop is so fulfilling!
Day Four: Reading Workshop at JustBooks
My reading workshops are always learning experiences. If not for those who attend mine, for me! Yesterday was a day of comics and stories. One child made a comic depicting a race to win a golden sword. One write a fable and illustrated it. One wrote an essay with a picture. They showed me, again, […]
Day Three: Reading Workshop at JustBooks, Wanawadi
Each day brings more happiness! Yesterday, day three of my reading workshop at JustBooks, was lovely. We told a story together, then wrote letters and played a new game – the Word Train! Children constantly inspire me to be creative!
Day Two: Let’s Read at JustBooks, Wanawadi
One hour is not enough for everything I like to do with the children at the workshop! It was still lovely, though, with understanding copyright (and asking whether Google will know who owns the copyright for the Bible) and telling stories. Myths, book covers, publishing, copyright and a quiz – all on Day Two of […]